CXCR7 in tumorigenesis and progression / 癌症

Chemokines, a family of small cytokines, were initially characterized as proinflammatory chemoattractant cytokines that regulated cell trafficking and adhesion. Today, attention focuses on chemokines because evidence shows that they play a critical role in tumor initiation, promotion, and progression. CXCR7, a seven-transmembrane G-protein-coupled CXC chemokine receptor, has recently been identified as binding with high affinity to chemokines CXCL11 (I-TAC) and CXCL12 (SDF-1). In this review, we highlight the current knowledge about the role of CXCR7 in the biologic processes of cancer, including cancer growth, survival, adhesion, invasion, metastasis, angiogenesis, and progression. The use of peptides, small molecules, antibodies, or small interfering RNA to target CXCR7 shows promise as new potential avenues for the treatment of cancer.

Recent development in ectopic reconstitution of seminiferous tubules / 中华男科学杂志

The testicular development and spermatogenesis of mammalians involve complex processes of cell migration, proliferation and differentiation and cell-cell interaction. In spite of extensive researches, many relevant aspects remain unclear. One of the impediments in the studies of testicular development and spermatogenesis of mammalians is the lack of a suitable model. In the last few years, two valuable models were developed for the study of mammalian spermatogenesis: testis tissue from immature animals transplanted ectopically into immunodeficient mice that could survive and produce functional spermatids, and isolated testis cells able to organize and rearrange into seminiferous cords that subsequently undergo complete spermatogenesis. This article presents an update and the applications and prospects of these two methods.

Combination of tamsulosin and tolterodine alleviates refractory lower urinary tract symptoms in male patients / 中华男科学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To evaluate and compare the clinical efficacy and safety of the highly selective alpha receptor antagonist tamsulosin and its combination with the M receptor antagonist tolterodine in the treatment of refractory lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) in patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>We included in this study 184 BPH patients with refractory LUTS with the disease course of 4 weeks to 2 years, whose LUTS were not alleviated after a week's treatment with tamsulosin. The patients were randomly divided into Groups A and B, the former (n=89) treated with tamsulosin at 0.2 mg qd and the latter (n=95) given tolterodine at 2 mg bid in addition to tamsulosin medication, both for 4 weeks. Scores on IPSS, QOL and Qmax were obtained before and after the treatment, and the improvement of LUTS evaluated after the medication.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The tamsulosin group showed no significant differences before and after the treatment in the scores on IPSS (13.23 +/- 4.39 vs. 12.21 +/- 4.07), QOL (4.23 +/- 1.27 vs 3.53 +/- 0.95) and Qmax ([12.3 +/- 8.39] ml/s vs. [14.1 +/- 8.62] mls) (P > 0.05), while the combination group exhibited significantly higher scores on IPSS and QOL and lower score on Qmax after the medication than before it (IPSS: 14.45 +/- 5.31 vs. 6.56 +/- 2.03, P < 0.05; QOL: 4.45 +/- 0.79 vs. 2.34 +/- 0.73, P < 0.05; Qmax: [11.4 +/- 9.21] ml/s vs. [15.5 +/- 8.35] ml/s, P < 0.01). No severe complications were found in any of the cases.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Combination of tamsulosin and tolterodine can significantly alleviate refractory LUTS and improve QOL without causing serious adverse events in BPH patients.</p>

The effect of endothelin receptor in androgen-independent prostate cancer / 中华外科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study the expression of ET receptor and the apoptosis after intervened with ET receptor antagonist in androgen-independent prostate cancer.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>PC3, an androgen-independent prostate cancer cell line, was used. The expression of ETA and ETB receptor in PC3 was measured through RT-PCR. After intervened with selective ETA and ETB receptor antagonist, the apoptosis in PC3 was studied through flow cytometry and electron microscope.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Clear signal was obtained in PC3 for ETA receptor mRNA transcript, while the signal for ETB receptor mRNA transcript was very weak. The expression of ETA receptor mRNA was obviously reduced and the apoptosis of PC3 cell was observed after intervened with selective ETA receptor antagonist. There was no change after intervened with selective ETB receptor antagonist.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>ET-1 exerts its effects through the ETA receptor subtype and ETB receptor is silenced in PC3. The expression of ETA was reduced and the apoptosis was observed in PC3 when ETA receptor was blocked. It was dose-dependent.</p>